Methods and systems for insulating a building

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for insulating a component of a home or building. An insulated component may include a generally planar surface and a frame positioned atop one side of the generally planar surface. The frame may include a plurality of outer studs coupled together to form an outer periphery and inner studs that divide the frame into one or more sections. One or more of the sections may include a cavity or hollow space. The insulated component may also include a first layer of insulation within one or more of the cavities. The first layer of insulation may include a pour insulation material that transitions from a liquid state or phase to a solid state or phase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to methods and systems forinsulating a component of a home or building, and more specifically tomethods and systems for insulating a component of a home or buildingusing a pour insulation material.

Factory built homes or prefabricated homes (e.g., manufactured home,modular homes, mobile homes, and the like) are quite often built withroof or attic designs that provides a limited amount of space. Thisspace may be so limited that it may not be practical for an individualto climb into the attic and move around. As such, these attics oftenlack an access hatch that permits access to the attic from within thehome. The roofs/attics are often built with limited space because thehome and/or roof is often transported by road from a manufacturingfacility to a job site where the home components are assembled to formthe home. The designers are often constrained as to the height of theroof and/or home because the roof and/or home may be required to passunder one or more bridges, walkways, or overpasses, such as a freewayoverpass. The height of the roof and/or home may be further constrainedin other ways as well.

Such attics are often insulated using a loose fill insulation materialthat is often blown into the attic space. Because of the limited spacewithin the attic, the amount of loose fill insulation that may beapplied is limited, often to as little as 3 inches at the heel and 11inches or less at the peak. This little insulation often provides an Rvalue of approximately 30 or less, which provides moderate to inadequateinsulation for the home and may result in fairly expensive heatingand/or cooling bills, especially in extreme temperature conditions.Other components of factory built or prefabricated homes are alsoinsulated, such as walls, floors, and the like and may suffer fromsimilar problems.

Demand for factory built or prefabricated homes remains high. As suchthere remains a need for increasing the energy efficiency ofprefabricated homes and improved methods of insulating components offactory built or prefabricated homes, especially for insulating spacelimited components, such as attics.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for insulatinga building, such as a component (e.g., attic, floor, wall, and the like)a prefabricated home. In one embodiment, a method of insulating acomponent of a building includes providing or obtaining a component ofthe building, such as an attic, floor, wall, and the like of aprefabricated home. The component may include a generally planar surfaceand a frame having a plurality of outer components coupled together todefine an outer periphery and one or more inner components that dividethe frame into one or more sections. The frame may be positioned atopone side of the generally planar surface so that at least one of thesections includes a cavity. The method may also include applying a pourinsulation material within the cavity to insulate the component. Thepour insulation material may transition from a liquid state to a solidstate to form a first layer of insulation within the cavity. The firstlayer of insulation may have an insulation R value of between about 3.5and about 7 per inch of insulation.

Applying the pour insulation material within the cavity may includepositioning a nozzle over the cavity and injecting the pour insulationmaterial within the cavity through the nozzle and/or nozzles. Applyingthe pour insulation material within the cavity may also includepositioning an additional nozzle over an additional cavity and injectingpour insulation material within the additional cavity simultaneouslywith the pour insulation material being injected within the othercavity.

The generally planar surface may include a plurality of panels whereadjacent panels abut each other at a seam. The method may furtherinclude sealing the seams prior to applying the pour insulationmaterial. Sealing the seams may include applying a tape atop or over theseams. The method may additionally include applying a second layer ofinsulation atop the first layer of insulation. The second layer ofinsulation may include an insulation material that is different than thepour insulation material. In one embodiment, the second layer ofinsulation includes a loose fill fiber insulation material. In someembodiments, the first layer of insulation may be applied at a sitewhere the component is manufactured or prefabricated and the secondlayer of insulation may be applied at a site where the component isinstalled to construct the building.

The second layer of insulation may be applied to a layer thickness ofbetween about 1.5 inches and about 9 inches. The pour insulationmaterial may adhesively couple the frame with the generally planarsurface, thereby eliminating or reducing the need for other adhesives.For example, the pour insulation material may be applied within thecavity prior to the frame being adhesively coupled with the generallyplanar surface so that the pour insulation material adhesively couplesthe frame with the generally planar surface. The pour insulationmaterial be a closed cell foam or an open cell foam. In someembodiments, the component being insulated may be a roof or attic havingone or more truss members positioned atop the generally planar surfaceand the method further include applying the pour insulation materialwithin the cavity while the one or more truss members are positionedatop the generally planar surface. The pour insulation material may havea low viscosity and slow cream time that allows the pour insulationmaterial to spread out within the cavity in the liquid state so that theresulting first layer of insulation has a substantially equivalent layerthickness within the cavity.

In another embodiment, a component of a home or building may include agenerally planar surface and a frame that may include a plurality ofouter studs coupled together to define an outer periphery and one ormore inner studs that divide the frame into one or more sections, wherethe frame is positioned atop one side of the generally planar surface sothat at least one of the sections includes a cavity. The cavity mayinclude a first layer of insulation having a substantially equivalentlayer thickness throughout the cavity. The first layer of insulation maybe a pour insulation material that transitions from a liquid state to asolid state and the first layer of insulation may have an insulation Rvalue of between about 4 and about 7 per inch of insulation within thecavity.

In some embodiments, the component may include one or more structures ofa home, such as a wall, a floor, an attic, and the like. In a specificembodiment, the structure comprises an attic or floor of a manufacturedor modular home. The attic or roof may have a maximum height of betweenabout 1 foot and about 4 feet. The cavity may also include a secondlayer of insulation positioned atop the first layer of insulation. Thesecond layer of insulation may be an insulation material that isdifferent than the pour insulation material, such as loose fill fiberinsulation. The insulation R value of the combined first and secondlayers of insulation may be between about 40 and about 60. The pourinsulation material may expand when the pour insulation materialtransitions from the liquid state to the solid state and the thicknessof the first layer may be substantially equivalent to a height of one ormore of the outer studs when the pour insulation material is in thesolid state. In some embodiments, the layer thickness of the first layerof insulation may be between about 2 inches and about 5 inches.

In another embodiment, a system for applying pour insulation material toone or more cavities of a prefabricated component of a building or homemay include a workstation that receives the prefabricated component toinsulate the component. Such a prefabricated component may include agenerally planar surface and a frame having a plurality of outer studscoupled together to define an outer periphery and one or more interiorstuds that divide the frame into one or more sections. The frame may bepositioned atop one side of the generally planar surface so that atleast one of the sections includes a cavity. The system may also includean injection mechanism having a plurality of nozzles positionable aboveone or more of the frame sections. The injection mechanism may beoperable to inject a pour insulation material into one or more of theframe sections to a defined level so as to insulate the prefabricatedcomponent. The pour insulation material may transition from a liquidstate to a solid state after an amount of time and the pour insulationmaterial may have an insulation R value of between about 4 and about 7per inch of insulation.

The system may further include a computing device communicativelycoupled with the injection mechanism. The computing device may include aprocessor and a memory device having a set of instructions storedthereon. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause thecomputing device to receive data associated with the prefabricatedcomponent, where the data includes dimensions for each of the pluralityof sections, and transmit instructions to the injection mechanism toinject the pour insulation material within the frame section(s) to thedefined level, where the amount of pour insulation material injectedinto the cavity is based on the dimensions of the section correspondingto the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in conjunction withthe appended figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a component of a home or buildingaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial perspective view of a component of a homeor building having one or more cavities insulated with a pour insulationmaterial according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a system for insulating acomponent of a home or building according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate side views of components of a home orbuilding having a portion of the component cutaway so as to show thecomponent having one or more layers of insulation according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of insulating a component of a home orbuilding according to an embodiment of the invention.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame numerical reference label. Further, various components of the sametype may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letterthat distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If onlythe first numerical reference label is used in the specification, thedescription is applicable to any one of the similar components and/orfeatures having the same first numerical reference label irrespective ofthe letter suffix.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of thedisclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the embodiments willprovide those skilled in the art with an enabling description forimplementing one or more embodiments. It being understood that variouschanges may be made in the function and arrangement of elements withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claims. Specific details are given in the following descriptionto provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it willbe understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodimentsmay be practiced without these specific details. Also, it is noted thatmethods or processes may be depicted as a flowchart or a block diagram.Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequentialprocess, many of the operations can be performed in parallel orconcurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may bere-arranged. Further a process could have additional steps not discussedor included in a figure. Furthermore, not all operations in anyparticularly described process may occur in all embodiments.

As used herein, the term prefabricated building or home means anybuilding that consists of one or more factory-built components or units.The prefabricated building or home may be assembled at the factory andshipped to a job site or assembled on-site to construct the building orhome. For example, a prefabricated home may consist of severalcomponents that are built in a factory for assembly with othercomponents, either at the factory or on-site, to construct the home. Thecomponents may include walls, floors, an attic or roof, and the like.Fabricating or building the walls, floors, roof, etc. may includeinstalling plumbing, electrical, lighting, network connections,insulation, and the like in the walls, floors, roofs, etc. Specificexamples of such prefabricated buildings are modules (modular homes),transportable section homes (manufactured homes), mobile homes, and thelike, although the term may also refer to single components or panelsthat may be shipped to a job site and coupled with one or more othercomponents or panels.

As used herein, the term insulation R value refers to thermalresistance, which quantifies the heat flux or amount of heat that isconducted through a material or a combination of materials, such asthrough a wall of a building or home. The higher the R value, the bettera material or combination of materials resist thermal transfer. Thus, inbuilding or home construction, building components having high R values(e.g., walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and the like) are desired.

Also, as used herein, the term pour insulation material means any typeof insulating material that may be applied within a cavity or hollowarea (e.g., poured, injected, inserted, and the like) in a fluid orsemi-fluid phase or state. The pour insulation material may transitionfrom the fluid or semi-fluid phase/state to a solid or semi-solidphase/state. In some embodiments, the pour insulation material mayexpand during the transition from the fluid/semi-fluid to thesolid/semi-solid state. The pour insulation material may be a twocomponent open or closed cell foam, such as for example a two componentmethylene diisocyanate (MDI) based polyurethane. In some embodiments,the first component of a two component foam comprises a polymericisocyanate containing reactive isocyanate groups while the secondcomponent is a combination of polyols, catalytic agents, and/or ablowing agent such as HFC-245fa, HFC-365mfc, water, and the like. Insome embodiments, the pour insulation may have an insulation R value ofbetween about 3.5 and about 7.5 per inch of insulation material (in thesolid/semi-solid phase), and in a specific embodiment may have aninsulation R value of about 6. An example of such a pour insulationmaterial is PROFORM™ 2.0 polyurethane pour foam-closed cell systemmanufactured by Bayer Material Science.

Prefabricated home attics (or other components), typically aremanufactured with a limited amount of space between the attic floor andthe top of the roof (see attic height H_(a) of FIG. 4A). The atticheight H_(a) typically ranges between about 12 inches and about 36inches or more and is often constrained by various factors, such asclearance for bridges or overpasses during shipping from themanufacturer to the home construction site. The attic space may be solimited that it may not be practical for an individual to climb into theattic and move around. Some homes are built with cathedral or vaultedceilings having an even more confined attic space, which may be aslittle as about 3.5 inches to about 7.0 inches at the heel and about 12inches to about 20 inches at the peak (i.e., H_(a) of FIG. 4B).

Due to the space limitations, insulating attics for prefabricated homesis often difficult. Further, the limited space limits the amount ofinsulation that may be applied within the attic, which may result inhigher energy costs and/or an insufficient R value to meet or exceedcurrent or future building insulation standards. The insulating methodsand systems described herein that use a pour insulation material and/orhybrid insulation layer provide a convenient and easy way to insulatesuch space limited prefabricated home attics and components whileproviding improved R value for such attics or components when comparedwith traditional prefabricated homes.

Embodiments of the invention may also reduce or eliminate ice formationor ice damming issues common with prefabricated home attics orcomponents. These problems often occur in prefabricated homes havingloose fill insulation in the attic because the loose fill volume islimited at the attic heel, which is typically around 3.5 inches for adouble wide or about 7 inches for a single wide home. The insulation Rvalue at the heel is often as little as 10-16, which results inappreciable heat transfer near the heel that melts snow on the roof andresults in ice damming or ice formation. Embodiments of the inventionsignificantly enhance the insulation R value at the attic heel andthereby reduce or eliminate ice formation or ice damming issues.

Embodiments of the invention provide components of a home or buildingand method and systems for insulating a component of a home or building.The component may be an attic or roof, floor, wall, and the like and thehome or building may be a prefabricated home, such as a manufacturedhome, modular home, mobile home, and the like. The component may includea generally planar surface and a frame positioned atop one side of thegenerally planar surface. The generally planar surface may include aplurality of panels where adjacent panels abut each other at a seam. Theframe may include a plurality of outer studs that are coupled togetherto define a rectangular, square, or other shaped outer periphery and oneor more inner studs that divide the frame into one or more sections.Some or all of the sections may define a cavity.

Some or all of the cavities may include a first layer of insulation. Thefirst layer of insulation may have a substantially uniform thicknessthroughout the cavity and may include a pour insulation material thattransitions from a liquid state or phase to a solid state or phase, thepour insulation material may have an insulation R value in the solidstate or phase of between about 4 and about 7 per inch of insulationmaterial. Some or all of the cavities may also include a second layer ofinsulation positioned atop the first layer. The second layer ofinsulation may include an insulation material different than the pourinsulation material. For example, the second layer of insulation mayinclude loose fill fiber insulation. The insulation R value of thecombined first and second layers (i.e., the hybrid layer) may be betweenabout 30 and about 60, and more commonly between about 40 and about 60.

The pour insulation material may expand as the material transitions fromthe liquid state or phase to the solid state or phase. The thickness ofthe first layer of insulation may be substantially equivalent to aheight of one (or more)of the plurality of outer studs or inner studswhen the pour insulation material is in the solid state or phase. Insome embodiments, the layer thickness of the first layer of insulationmay be between about 2 inches and about 5 inches (or more), and morecommonly between about 3 and 4 inches. Similarly, in some embodiments,the layer thickness of the second layer of insulation may be betweenabout 5 inches and about 12 inches (or more), and more commonly betweenabout 7 and 10 inches. Having briefly described embodiments of theinvention, additional aspects of the invention will be evident withreference to the figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a component 100 of aprefabricated home, such as a manufactured or modular home. Component100 in FIG. 1 is a roof or attic of a prefabricated home, but may alsobe a floor, wall, and the like of the home. Component 100 includes agenerally planar surface 108 and a frame 102 positioned atop one side ofplanar surface 108. Planar surface 108 includes a plurality of panels110 that are positioned so that adjacent sides of the panels 110 abut ata seam 112. Some or all of the seams 112 may be sealed using an adhesivetape 114. Panels 110 may include gypsum boards (i.e., drywall), plywood,oriented strand boards (OSB), and/or other materials known in thebuilding industry.

Frame 102 includes outer studs 104 a and 104 b that are coupled togetherto define an outer periphery of frame 102 and also includes one or moreinner studs 106 that are coupled with the inner surface of opposingouter studs 104 a. The inner studs 106 divide frame 102 into one or moresections 113. Opposing studs 104 a may define a longitudinal length offrame 102 and opposing studs 104 b may define a transverse length offrame 102, which may be shorter than the longitudinal length. When frame102 is positioned atop planar surface 108, one or more of sections 113may define a cavity or hollow space between opposing studs 106 and 104 aand planar surface 108 (e.g., see cavity 314 of FIG. 3).

Frame 102 is positioned atop one side of planar surface 108 and may becoupled therewith. Coupling frame 102 and planar surface 108 may includeadhesively bonding outer studs 104 a and 104 b and/or inner studs 106with planar surface 108 and/or may include mechanically fastening (e.g.,nails, screws, staples, and the like) studs 104 a, 104 b, and/or 106with planar surface 108. In some embodiments, frame 102 is notadhesively coupled with planar surface 108 prior to insulating component100 or is loosely coupled therewith using one or more screws, nails,and/or staples. In such embodiments the insulating material applied mayadhesively couple frame 102 with planar surface 108.

Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrated is component 200 that includes agenerally planar surface 208 and a frame 202 positioned atop planarsurface 208 and coupled therewith. In FIG. 2, Component 200 depicts anattic of a prefabricated home, although in other embodiments component200 could be a floor, a wall, and the like of the prefabricated home.Planar surface 208 includes a plurality of panels (not shown) that maybe gypsum boards and the like. Frame 202 includes studs 204 a, 204 b,and 206, which in this embodiment represent components of a truss. Forexample, studs 204 b and 206 represent bottom cords and studs 204 arepresent end blocks or the attic heel. Bottom cords 204 b and 206 arecoupled with top cords 220 via a gusset plate (not shown) or some otherfastening means known in the art (e.g., mechanical fasteners, adhesivebonding, and the like). The truss may also include one or more webmembers (not shown) fastened to bottom cords 204 b and 206 and top cords220 that provide additional support.

Opposing end blocks 204 a, opposing bottom cords 204 b and 206, andplanar surface 208 define a plurality of cavities 214 or hollow spaces,where each cavity 214 is bounded on the bottom by planar surface 208 andon the sides by end blocks 204 a and bottom cords 206 and/or 204 b. Oneor more of the cavities, and preferably all the cavities, are insulatedwith a pour insulation material 216. Pour insulation material 216 is afoam material that transition from a liquid state to a solid state. Pourinsulation material 216 may be applied within cavities 214 by pouring orinjection pour insulation material 216 in the liquid state directly ontoa top surface of planar surface 208 within cavity 214. Preferably theseams (not shown) between adjacent panels (not shown) of planar surface208 are adhesively taped to prevent pour insulation material 216 fromleaking through the seams in the liquid state. A backer material (notshown) may be applied to the periphery of the frame 202 and planarsurface 208 to prevent the pour insulation material 216 from leakingfrom the periphery of the structure. After pour insulation material 216is applied, it foams and expands during the transition from the liquidstate to the solid state. Pour insulation material 216 may be a twocomponent open or closed cell foam, such as for example a two componentmethylene diisocyanate (MDI) based polyurethane. In some embodiments,pour insulation material 216 has an insulation R value in the solidstate of between about 3 and about 8, and more commonly a value of about6, per inch of insulation. An example of such a pour insulation materialis PROFORM™ 2.0 polyurethane pour foam-closed cell system manufacturedby Bayer Material Science.

In some embodiments, the amount of pour insulation material 216 that maybe applied within a respective cavity 214 may be defined by the heightof end block 204 a, which may be between about 2 inches and about 6inches, and more commonly about 3.5 inches. In essence four sides of thecavity are bounded by wood framing or other suitable material thatretain the pour insulation in place as it is applied and the height ofthe sides create a maximum depth that the pour insulation can rise to.In some embodiments, pour insulation material 216 is applied so that thetop surface of pour insulation material 216 in the solid state issubstantially equivalent with the top surface of end block 204 a. Theinsulation R value provided to component 200 by pour insulation material216 may be varied by varying the amount of pour insulation material 216applied. The thickness of the resulting foam insulation (i.e., the solidstate of pour insulation material 216) may range from ½ inch that mayprovide air sealing to 5 inches or more to provide maximum insulation.

Pour insulation material 216 may adhesively bond planar surface 208 withbottom cords 206 and 204 b and end blocks 204 a, thereby replacing anadhesive bond material (e.g., polyurethane spray adhesive) and/ormechanical fasteners that would otherwise be applied in an additionalmanufacturing step. In other words, frame 202 (e.g., the individualtruss components and end blocks) may be positioned atop planar surface208 in an uncoupled or un-adhered state and pour insulation material 216may be applied within cavities 214 to both insulate component 200 andadhesively bond frame 202 to planar surface 208. In other embodimentsframe 202 is loosely or temporarily coupled with planar surface 208using one or more mechanical fasteners or adhesive bonds that hold thestructure in place. Pour insulation material 216 is then applied withincavities 214 to adhesively and permanently bond frame 202 to planarsurface 208. Pour insulation material 216 may also be air impermeable tohelp air seal component 200 (e.g., gaps, seams, interfaces, and thelike) and/or air seal any structures penetrating therethrough (e.g.,lighting fixtures, plumbing, pipes, and the like).

Pour insulation material 216 may have a low viscosity in the liquidstate and a slow cream and extended set time so that the liquidinsulation material is able to spread out evenly within cavity 214before it foams and sets up. In this manner, pour insulation material216 may be self leveling. In some embodiments, pour insulation material216 has a viscosity at a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit of betweenabout 750 and about 900. Similarly, in some embodiments, pour insulationmaterial 216 has a cream time of between about 35 seconds and about 50seconds, is tack free in a time of between about 260 seconds and about300 seconds, and has a rise time (i.e., foam time) of between about 200seconds and about 280 seconds. The pour insulation components may beheated to about 140° F. to reduce viscosity and speed up the reactiontime. One advantage of using pour insulation material 216 is that isreduces and permits control of hazardous factory volatile organiccompounds (VOC), which are common with high pressure, elevatedtemperature, two component spray polyurethane products. Because pourinsulation material 216 is poured, injected, or otherwise applied withincavities 214 and not sprayed within the cavities, the VOCs emittedduring application and curing are dramatically reduced and easilycontrolled with proper ventilation over and/or around component 200.This may reduce the need for ventilation in the factory and reduce oreliminate the need for workers immediately adjacent or around component200 to wear full face or half mask respirators. Spray applications maycause droplets to form, which increases the chemical surface areaexposed to the atmosphere and permits VOCs to readily offgas. Theexposed surface area, along with heat, may dramatically impact VOCconcentrations.

Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is a system 300 for applying pourinsulation material to one or more cavities 314 of a prefabricatedcomponent for a building or home. System 300 includes a workstation uponwhich a prefabricated component is positioned. As described above, theprefabricated component may include a generally planar surface 308 and aframe 302 positioned atop one side of planar surface 308. Frame 302 mayinclude a plurality of studs 304 a and 304 b coupled together to definean outer periphery and include one or more inner studs 306 that divideframe 302 into sections or cavities 314.

System 300 also includes an injection mechanism 330 that is operable toinject, pour, or otherwise apply a liquid state pour insulation material338 into one or more of the sections or cavities 314. Injectionmechanism 330 may inject the liquid state pour insulation material 338to a defined level or volume within a respective cavity 314 to insulatethe prefabricated component. As described above, the liquid state pourinsulation material 338 may transition from the liquid state to a solidstate pour insulation material 316. FIG. 3 shows one of the cavities 314having a solid state pour insulation material 316 within the cavity. Thepour insulation material may foam or expand so that the top surface ofthe solid state pour insulation material 316 is roughly equal with thetop surface of studs 304 a and 304 b.

Injection mechanism 330 may include one or more injection tube 334 thatextend from a main body. The injection tubes 334 may each include one ormore nozzles 336 positioned along a longitudinal length of therespective injection tube. The injection tubes 334 may be spaced apartso that each injection tubes and corresponding nozzle(s) is positionedabove one of the cavities 314. The injection tubes 334 maysimultaneously inject or pour the liquid state pour insulation material338 within a respective cavity 314. The injection mechanism 330 may movealong a longitudinal length of or otherwise traverse the prefabricatedcomponent so that the injection tubes 334 may inject liquid state pourinsulation material 338 within each or most of the cavities 314. In someembodiments, injection tubes 334 traverse the entire width of theprefabricated component and are connected with a rail or anotherinjection mechanism (not shown) on an opposite side of the prefabricatedcomponent. Additionally, in some embodiments, injection tubes 334 areindividually controllable so that the liquid state pour insulationmaterial 338 is delivered from only one injection tube or a combinationof selected injections tubes (e.g., injected from end tubes and notintermediate tubes). Similarly, in some embodiments, nozzles 336 areindividually controllable so that the liquid state pour insulationmaterial 338 is delivered from selected or specified nozzles 336, suchas only distal nozzles or a combination of distal, proximal, andintermediate nozzles on respective injection tubes. The individualcontrollability of injection tubes 334 and nozzles 336 allows injectionmechanism 330 to accommodate prefabricated component having differentdesigns (e.g., different cavity spacing, cavity patterns, and the like)and/or including unique features (e.g., attic access hatches, wallwindows, pipes, vents, electrical components, and the like).

Injection mechanism 330 may be coupled via one or more hoses with a pourinsulation material holding station 340, although in other embodimentsinjection mechanism 330 includes such features. Holding station 340 maymix the two component pour insulation material prior to delivering thepour insulation material to injection mechanism 330. In an exemplaryembodiment, mixing of the two component pour insulation material is doneat the pour head to eliminate chemical reaction and build up in thelines and hoses.

Similarly, injection mechanism 330 may be communicatively coupled with acomputing device 350. Computing device 350 includes a processor 352 anda memory device 354. The memory device 354 may be programmed with thedesign and dimension details of the prefabricated component (e.g.,cavity spacing and depth, access hatch or window locations, piping orother component locations, and the like) to automate injection of thepour insulation material within cavities 314 for specific and/or uniqueprefabricated components. Based on the design details of theprefabricated component, computing device 350 may cause injectionmechanism 330 to inject the liquid state pour insulation material 338 toa predetermined level within each respective cavity so that the topsurface of the solid state pour insulation material 316 (i.e., afterexpansion and/or foaming) is roughly equal with the top surface of studs304 a and 304 b.

An advantage of system 300 is that it is operable with or easilyintegrated into pre-existing prefabricated component manufacturingprocesses, workstations, and equipment. Thus, system 300 may be easilyimplemented with minimal modification to pre-existing processes andequipment.

As used herein, the term “memory device” includes, but is not limited toportable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wirelesschannels and various other mediums capable of storing, containing orcarrying instruction(s) and/or data. A code segment ormachine-executable instructions may represent a procedure, a function, asubprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a softwarepackage, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures,or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another codesegment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information,data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments,parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via anysuitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing,network transmission, etc. A processor(s) may be coupled with the memorydevice to perform the necessary tasks.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, illustrated is an exemplary embodiment of aninsulated prefabricated component 400 having a hybrid insulation layer.Specifically, FIG. 4A illustrates a side view of a prefabricatedcomponent 400 having a front portion of the prefabricated component 400removed to reveal the interior. Prefabricated component 400 representsan attic or roof of a manufactured, modular, or mobile home, although inother embodiments prefabricated component 400 may represent a wall,floor, and the like of a building or home. Attic or prefabricatedcomponent 400 has an attic height H_(a) that may be space limited asdescribed above. Likewise, prefabricated component 400 also includes aplanar surface 408 and frame 404 as described above. A pour insulationmaterial 416 is applied within the frame/planar surface cavity or hollowspace as shown and as described above. The applied pour insulationmaterial 416 forms a first insulation layer or foam insulation layerwithin prefabricated component 400. The foam insulation layer has athickness H_(f) such that a top surface of the foam insulation layer isroughly equal with or otherwise adjacent a top surface of frame 404. Insome embodiments foam layer thickness H_(f) is between about 2 and about6 inches (or more), and more commonly between about 3 and 4 inches androughly about 3.5 inches. The foam insulation layer may provide aninsulation R value of between about 3 and about 7.5, and more commonlyabout 6, per inch of foam. In some embodiments, the overall insulation Rvalue of the foam insulation layer may range between about 10 and about30, and more commonly between about 15 and about 25.

Positioned atop the foam insulation layer is a second insulation layer418. Second insulation layer 418 may include an insulation materialdifferent than the pour insulation material. For example, secondinsulation layer 418 may include a loose fill fiber insulation, whichmay include cellulose, fiber glass, and the like that is blown in overand atop the foam insulation layer. The loose fill insulation may beblown in to contact the underside of the roof, especially at the atticheel. In some embodiments, the loose fill insulation is blown against anattic ventilation system or vent or is blown in so as to maintain about1 inch of air space under a roof deck board to allow for atticventilation. In some embodiments, fiber insulation of 1.5 inches orgreater is used to provide an ignition barrier over the foam insulationlayer. Second insulation layer 418 has a layer thickness H_(s) that maybe between about 5 inches and about 15 inches, and more commonly betweenabout 7 and about 10 inches. The loose fill fiber insulation may providean R value of between about 3 and about 5 per inch of insulationmaterial. Examples of such loose fill fiber insulation include JohnsManville Climate Pro® MH loose fill fiber insulation. In someembodiments, the overall insulation R value of the second insulationlayer 418 may range between about 15 and about 45, and more commonlybetween about 25 and about 35. In some embodiments the second insulationlayer 418 (e.g., the loose fill insulation) is applied at a job sitewhere the prefabricated component is coupled with other prefabricatedcomponents to construct the home or building. Thus, in some embodiments,the foam insulation layer and loose fill insulation layer are eachapplied at different locations—the manufacturing site and constructionsite, respectively. In other embodiments, the foam insulation layer andsecond insulation layer are both applied at the same location.

The hybrid insulation layer (i.e., the combined first and secondinsulation layers that each include different insulating materials) mayallow the spaced limited prefabricated component (e.g., attic, floor,wall, and the like) to have a higher R value than is otherwise possibleusing conventional insulating methods and materials, such as a singlelayer of blown in loose fill insulation. Further, the use of a firstinsulation layer including the pour insulation material may provide anappreciably higher R value than blown in loose fill insulation whilereducing hazardous VOCs (compared to spray foam applications) andproviding an easy method of applying the insulating material to theprefabricated component. The hybrid insulation layer may further reduceor minimize the heat transfer at the attic heel and thereby reduce oreliminate ice formation or ice damming. In some embodiments, the hybridinsulation layer provides an insulation R value of between about 40 andabout 60. In a specific embodiment, the hybrid insulation layer providesan insulation R value of between about 45 and about 55. This R value issignificantly greater than those achieved by current prefabricatedcomponents and is sufficient to exceed current and expected futureinsulation code requirements.

FIG. 4B illustrates a side view of an embodiment of vaulted or cathedralceiling 400′ having one or more layers of insulation. Vaulted ceiling400′ may represent an attic or roof of a manufactured, modular, ormobile home. Vaulted ceiling 400′ has an attic height H_(a) that is lessthan the attic height of component 400. Attic height H_(a) may be aslittle as about 10 to 20 inches. Properly insulating vaulted ceiling400′ using conventional methods and systems may be difficult due to thelimited space. Vaulted ceiling 400′ includes a planar surface 408 andframe 404 as described above and also include a top surface 432, whichmay be roof sheathing, plywood, and the like. A pour insulation material416 is applied within the frame/planar surface cavity or hollow space asdescribed above to a thickness H_(f). As shown on the left side ofvaulted ceiling 400′, thickness H_(f) may be such that a top surface ofthe foam insulation layer is roughly equal with or otherwise adjacent atop surface of frame 404. As shown on the right side of vaulted ceiling400′, a second insulation layer 418 (e.g., loose fill fiber insulation)may be applied atop the pour insulation material 416 to provide a hybridinsulation layer as described above. As briefly mentioned above, a 1inch air space between the top of the insulation layer and the undersideof the roof sheathing 432 may be maintained to provide adequate atticventilation. The pour insulation material layer and/or hybrid insulationlayer may greatly enhance the R value of vaulted ceiling 400′.

Vaulted ceiling 400′ may include two or more components, 434 and 435,that are each assembled on a planar horizontal surface and then liftedinto position with respect to each other, and/or to the walls of aprefabricated home, and coupled together. The pour insulation material416 may be applied within the cavities and allowed to cure prior to thecomponents, 434 and 435, being lifted in place and coupled together.

Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a method 500 of insulating acomponent of a building or home. At block 501, a prefabricated componentof a home or building is provided or obtained. The prefabricatedcomponent may be an attic or roof, floor, wall, and the like including agenerally planar surface and frame as described above. The prefabricatedcomponent may be a component of a manufactured home, modular home,mobile home, and the like. At block 520, a nozzle is positioned over acavity of the component or a plurality of nozzles are positioned overrespective cavities of the component. At block 530, a pour insulationmaterial is injected, poured, or otherwise applied to or within thecavity of the component. In some embodiments, the pour insulation isapplied using an injection mechanism that includes a plurality ofnozzles where each nozzle is positioned over a respective cavity orwhere two over more nozzles are positioned over the same cavity. Theinjection mechanism may then inject the pour insulation material withinthe respective cavity. The component may be insulated at a workstationand the injection mechanism may be configured to traverse theworkstation to injection the pour insulation material within eachcavity.

The pour material may then be allowed an amount of time to foam, expand,and/or otherwise transition from a liquid or semi-liquid state/phase toa solid or semi-solid state/phase. At block 540, a second insulationmaterial is applied atop the layer of pour insulation material to form ahybrid insulation layer. The second layer may include an insulationmaterial different than the pour insulation. Applying the secondinsulation material may include blowing in loose fill fiber insulationmaterial atop the layer of pour insulation. In some embodiments, thefirst layer of insulation is applied while the component is at amanufacturing site or facility and the second layer of insulation isapplied at a job site where the component is being coupled with one ormore other components to construct the building or home. In otherembodiments, both the first and second layer are applied at the samesite, which may be the manufacturing site or the job site. In someembodiments, the second layer of insulation is applied to a thickness ofbetween about 5 and 15 inches, and more commonly between about 6 and 10inches, while the first insulation layer is applied to have a thicknessof between about 2 and 6 inches, and more commonly between about 3 and 4inches.

Method 500 may further include sealing seams between adjacent panels ofthe planar surface to prevent or minimize leakage of the pour insulationmaterial through the seams. Sealing the seams may include placing anadhesive tape over the seams. The pour insulation material may include alow viscosity and slow cream time that allows the pour insulationmaterial to spread out within the cavity in the liquid state/phase sothat the resulting first layer of insulation has a substantially equalor uniform layer thickness throughout the cavity. In some embodiments,pour insulation material 216 has a viscosity at a temperature of 77degrees Fahrenheit of between about 750 and about 900. Similarly, insome embodiments, pour insulation material 216 has a cream time ofbetween about 35 seconds and about 50 seconds. The pour insulationmaterial 216, or the components thereof, may be heated to about 140° F.to reduce viscosity and speed up the reaction time. In embodiments wherethe prefabricated component is a roof or attic, the pour insulationmaterial may be applied while the truss segments or members are coupledwith the attic floor or may be applied prior to attaching the trusssegments or members to the attic floor.

Method 500 may additionally include applying the pour insulationmaterial within the cavity before the frame of the prefabricatedcomponent is adhesively coupled with the planar surface. In other words,the frame may not be coupled with the planar surface or may be looselyor temporarily coupled therewith via one or more mechanical fasteners(e.g., nails, screws, and the like) and/or adhesive bonds. In suchembodiments, the pour material may be used to adhesively couple theframe and the planar surface in addition to insulating the component.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elementshave not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention. Accordingly, the above description should not betaken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller rangebetween any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and anyother stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed.The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently beincluded or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neitheror both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassedwithin the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in thestated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits,ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are alsoincluded.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes aplurality of such processes and reference to “the device” includesreference to one or more devices and equivalents thereof known to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and“includes” when used in this specification and in the following claimsare intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers,components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or additionof one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, orgroups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of insulating a component of a buildingcomprising: providing a component of a building, the componentcomprising: a generally planar surface; and a frame comprising aplurality of outer components coupled together to define an outerperiphery and one or more inner components that divide the frame intoone or more sections, the frame being positioned atop one side of thegenerally planar surface so that at least one of the sections comprisesa cavity; applying a pour insulation material within the cavity toinsulate the component, the pour insulation material being appliedwithin the cavity such that when expanded, a top surface of the pourinsulation material is substantially equal with a top surface of thecavity, wherein the pour insulation material transitions from a liquidstate to a solid state to form a first layer of insulation within thecavity, and wherein the first layer of insulation comprises aninsulation R value of between about R-3.5 and about R-7 per inch of theinsulation; and applying a second layer of loose fiber insulation atopthe first layer of insulation.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinapplying the pour insulation material comprises: positioning a nozzleover the cavity; and injecting the pour insulation material within thecavity through the nozzle.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:positioning an additional nozzle over an additional cavity; andinjecting pour insulation material within the additional cavitysimultaneously with the pour insulation material being injected withinthe cavity.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: the generally planarsurface comprises a plurality of panels; adjacent panels abut each otherat a seam; and the method further comprises sealing the seams prior toapplying the pour insulation material.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinsealing the seams comprises applying a tape atop the seams.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first layer of insulation is applied at asite where the component is manufactured and the second layer ofinsulation is applied at a site where the component is installed toconstruct the building.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprisingapplying the second layer of insulation to a layer thickness of betweenabout 1.5 inches and about 9 inches.
 8. The method of claim 1 whereinthe pour insulation material adhesively couples the frame with thegenerally planar surface.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein pourinsulation material comprises a closed cell foam.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the pour insulation material comprises an open cellfoam.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the pourinsulation material within the cavity prior to the frame beingadhesively coupled with the generally planar surface, wherein the pourinsulation material adhesively couples the frame with the generallyplanar surface.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the componentcomprises a roof or attic having one or more truss members positionedatop the generally planar surface, and wherein the method furthercomprises: applying the pour insulation material within the cavity whilethe one or more truss members are positioned atop the generally planarsurface.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pour insulation materialcomprises a low viscosity and slow cream time that allows the pourinsulation material to spread out within the cavity in the liquid stateso that the resulting first layer of insulation has a substantiallyequivalent layer thickness within the cavity.